Christ, Our Living Hope in Suffering
Longing for Jesus’ Return
How often do you think about the second coming of Jesus? Daily? Sometimes? Barely? The return of Jesus is one of the most important and recurring teachings of the New Testament. The inspired authors repeatedly encourage believers to long for it, to wait expectantly for it, to get ready for it, to live in the light of it, and to hope in it (Hebrews 10:24-25; 2 Timothy 4:8; Hebrews 9:28; Matthew 24:44; Titus 2:13; and many more). As Christians, it should be at the forefront of our minds and the very hope of our lives. According to the apostle Peter, the key to enduring suffering is to set our hope completely on the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:13).
What Counts as Suffering?
Our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world are being physically harmed and even killed for their Faith. This is a level of suffering that most Christians in the west may never know. However, all Christians suffer for their faith in one form or another. The Scriptures count as suffering various trials (1 peter 1:6). This includes temptation (Hebrews 2:18), physical afflictions and weaknesses (e.g. the temptation of sinning against God or others while in pain, etc.), harsh/unjust treatments, reviling, or any kind of mistreatment because of our faith in Christ, whether from government authorities, family members, employers, or in society at large (2 Corinthians 12:8-10; 1 Peter 2:13 -3:7).
How Does Jesus’ Return Give Us Hope?
In order to encourage believers to endure suffering, the apostle Peter reminds us of our living Hope and our inheritance, which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for us by God Himself (1 Peter 1:3-9). He then exhorts us as follows:
Therefore [since we have such a glorious hope and inheritance], preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ [at his second coming]. (1 Peter 1:13)
What is this grace to be brought to us at Jesus’ second coming? What is our inheritance? What is our living hope? Our inheritance is the sum total of all that God has promised us in salvation; all that Jesus has earned for us through his life, death, and resurrection. This includes things we possess and fully enjoy right now (such as peace with God, justification, redemption, the forgiveness of sins, etc.) and things we do not fully possess yet (such as glorified bodies free from sin, the new heaven, and the new earth). Our Living Hope is Christ himself who by his resurrection from the dead has proven to have dominion over all rulers and authorities and powers, including death itself. Through him, our mortal bodies will be resurrected and clothed with an immortal and glorious body, able to enjoy the fullness of our inheritance.
We will be able to behold God, to know God, and to enjoy God at a level that we are incapable of right now (1 John 3:2-3, 1 Corinthians 13:12). Imagine that. If you have ever tasted and seen that the Lord is good, whatever awe, worship, adoration, and love filled your heart at the hearing of God’s word, through a worship song or a sermon — it is but a shadow of what it will be like when Jesus returns. Unhindered by sin, pain, sorrow, and fear, we will bask in the Glory of God for seven eternities, beholding and delighting in him, along with all those that God redeemed throughout human history. And this hope is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, secured for us by God Himself.
Long for Jesus’ return, wait expectantly for it, get ready for it, live in the light of it, and fully hope in it.
